Locking device for automobiles.



M. W. BOYCE. LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 16,19".

1,220,531 5. Patented Maig 27,1917.

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WITNESS: I "TOR WA Y m ATTORNEY M.' W. BOYCE. LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES- APPLICATION men res. to. Ian.

1,22'0',315; I v I Patented Mar. 21, 1917.

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mum.- INVENTOI? ATTORNEY MILFARD W. BOYCE, OF KEARNEY, NEW JERSEY.

:IJOOKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial No. 148,984

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NIILFARD'W. Boron, a subject of the King of England, residing in the town of Kearney, in'the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a locking device, especially designed for locking the controlling lever of any style of automobile, from motion, so as to prevent the automobile from being operated by an unauthorized person, and simultaneously with the locking of the controlling lever, locking the clutch pedal with means carried by the locking device, and simultaneously moved into position against the clutch pedal when the controlling lever of the car is locked.

This device has advantages over the ordinarydevices now in use, in which the con-f trolling lever of the car is simply locked. The advantage of simultaneously locking the clutch and holding it in a neutral position with theoperating lever, permits the free-. running of the engine, but. prevents the shifting of the gears into high or low gear.

The object of this invention is the production of a locking device, which shall be simple in construction, durable in use, comparatively inexpensive in cost, consisting of a base plate adapted to be secured to the frame work of the car, adjacent to the operating lever, mounting upon said base plate a standard capable of adjustment, said standard supporting a pivoted locking-arm, which is provided with means for' interlocking engagement with said lever, and further provided with sliding means carried by said base plate and operated by the pivoted looking arm, for simultaneously locking the clutch pedal against movement.

With thisend in view, my invention consists in certain novelties of construction and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. While the preferred form of my invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawings, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing Fig. 4 represents a plan View, partly in 7 section, taken on lines w-w of Fig.3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary view of one end of the pivoted locking arm and standard.

Fig. 6 represents .a sectional plan view taken on lines a+a of'Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow; and

Fig. 7 represents one end of the pivoted locking arm in locking engagement with the controlling lever of the car.

' Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and draw ings.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 represents an attaching base plate, by means of which the device is adjustably secured to the frame work of the car and below the floor thereof. Clamps 2 are illustrated as fastening means, by means of which the base plate is adjustably secured to the frame of the car, although any other means may be employed. Rising upward from and integral with the base plate .1 is a bearing 3, adapted to receive one end of the standard 4, the standard L being adjustably secured in said bearing by means of a set screw 5, and prevented from turning and accidental displacement by means of a slot 6 formed in said standard, and a pin 7 secured to the bearing 3, engaging with the slot 6. The upper end of the standard 4 is slotted and provided with alined apertures, by means of which .one end of the locking arm 8 is pivotally secured thereto in any convenientor desired manner. The free end of the arm 8 is provided'with a lock 9 of any convenient form, which is adapted to engage with the controlling lever 10.

Connected to the bearing 3 by means of a guide-way 11, is another bearing 12, in which a toothed rack 13 is located. The upper end no of the rack 13 is pivotally connected to an adjustable connection 14, said adjustable connection at its opposite end, being pivotally connected, as at 15, to an integral ofiset extension 16 projecting from one end of the locking arm 8. A similarly toothed rack 18, provided with an outwardly and upwardly extending integral extension 17, is slidably mounted in the guideway 11. Projecting at right angles from the bearing 3, and formed integral therewith, is a small bearing 19, through which passes a stud 20, see Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, to the ends of which are secured gear wheels 21 and 22, the gear wheel 21 meshing with a gear wheel 23, which is secured to one end of a stud 2ft passing through an integral extension 25 formed on the bearing 3, in order that move ment of the locking arm 8 through the flexible connection 14, will cause the toothed rack 18 to be reciprocated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. One end of the headed stud 24 is screw-threaded, and provided with a pair of lock nuts 26.

When the device is not in use, the locking arm 8 may be swung upward into engagement with a suitable spring clasping member 27 secured to the upper end of the standard 1, in any convenient manner, and with which it has frictional engagement, as clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the operation of this mechanism, the operating lever of the car is locked by swinging the locking arm 8 fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 into the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This movement of the locking arm 8, causes the flexible connection to assume the position inclicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby causing the rack 13 to impart rotation to the gear wheels 22 and 21 respectively, and through them, to impart rotation to the gear wheel 23, which in turn moves the rack 18 forward, so that the extension 17 is brought into contact with the clutch pedal 28 shown in dotted lines, thereby locking the clutch pedal simultaneously with the controlling lever of the car.

When it is desired to use the machine which is locked by this mechanism, the operator, by means of a key, not shown, releases the lock 9 from locking engagement with the controlling lever 10, and the arm 8 is then free to be swung upward into engagement with the spring clasping member 27, which maintainssaid arm 8 out of operating position until again needed. The parts are then as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, with the clutch pedal ready to be thrown into high or low gear. 7

Experience has demonstrated that the organization above described is a highly efficient one, and while the device described is the preferred embodiment of my present invention, I do not care to restrict myself to the exact details of construction, combination and arrangement herein set forth, it

1. In a device for simultaneously securing he operating lever and clutch pedal, a base secured to the frame of a car, a standard ad ustably secured in said base, an arm piv oted to said standard adapted to be engaged by and disengaged from the operating lever, locking means secured on the free outer end of said movable arm adapted to engage with and have locking engagement with said lever, a clutch locking member slidably secured to said base and means operatively connected with said clutch locking member and said locking arm, whereby movement of the locking arm causes the clutch locking member to engage with and lock the clutch pedal. V

2. In a device for simultaneously securing the operating lever and clutch pedal, a base secured to the frame of a car, a standard adjustably secured in said base, an arm piv-. oted to said standard adapted to be engaged:

by and disengaged from the operatinglever,

a clutch locking member slidably secured to said base and means operatively connected with said clutch locking member and said locking arm, whereby movement of the locking arm causes the clutch locking member to engage with and lock the clutch pedal.

3. In a device for simultaneously securing the operating lever and clutch pedal, a base secured to the frame of a car, a standard adjustably secured in said base, an arm pivoted to said standard adapted to be. engaged by and disengaged from the operat} ing lever, locking means secured on the free outer end of said movable arm adapted to engage with and have locking engagement with said lever, and adjustable clutch lock ing member slidably secured to said base,

an adjustable connection secured to the free end of the locking arm and means opera tively connected with said clutch locking member and said adjustable connection, whereby movement of the locking arm causes the clutch locking member to engage with and lock the clutch pedal.

4:. In a device for simultaneously securing the operating lever and clutch pedal, a base secured to the frame of a car, a stand-' ard adjustably secured in said base, a spring clasping member secured to the upper end of the standard, an arm pivoted to said standard adapted to be engaged by and dis l a clutch locking member provided With an engaged from the operating lever, locking causes the clutch locking member to engage 10 means secured on the free outer end of said With and lock the clutch pedal. 7 movable arm adapted to engage With and This specification signed and witnessed i have locking engagement With said lever, this 14th day of February, 1917.

extension, slidahly secured to said base and v MILFARD BOYCE means operatively connected With said Witnesses: clutch locking member and said locking arm, FREDK C. FISCHER, whereby movement of the locking arm CLIFFORD A. ALLISTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

